The fact that people are shallow is not a reason to break up companies. Some social circles will kick you out if you don't wear luxury clothes, but you don't see the government forcing those companies to lower prices.
I'm not talking about teenagers. If you think that your social life is the same with and without imessage you're wrong, regardless of how old you are.
Using any other app just adds friction - obviously your best friend isn't going to stop talking to you because of it but weaker relationships might not survive.
And in my circle, my home address, the kind of car I drive, the universities I attended, and the places I vacation all affect -- subtly and sometimes more blatantly -- my relationships. Are you arguing for absolute uniformity across all choices in life?
